Memorial Hall of Marco Polo Opens in Yangzhou, China
Italian Consul General in Shanghai Tiziana D’Angelo: “The opening of the Marco Polo Museum represents a unique opportunity to strengthen the historical bonds of ancient friendship.”
Italy handed over to the Chinese Museum copies of unique documents stored in Venice. The project is part of the program for the Year of Culture and Tourism between Italy and China that was celebrated in 2022.
In the historic Chinese city of Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, the Marco Polo Memorial Hall has opened its doors to the public. This is an unprecedented and only museum in the world dedicated to the famous Italian traveler.
The exhibition presents valuable and very rare documents currently stored in Venice, and their reproductions were performed with the maximum graphic and artistic accuracy and donated to the Chinese Memorial by the Institute of the Italian Treccani Encyclopedia, the Ca Foscari University of Venice, and the State Archives of Venice.
According to Ansa news agency, “The University of Venice has contributed to providing scientific support and coordination of the digitized materials presented at the exhibition. The work was primarily to determine which documents to exhibit that will most likely be seen in their original version next year at an exhibition that the Palazzo Ducale will dedicate to its fellow citizen.”
According to a study by Chinese and Italian scientists, Marco Polo “seems to have stayed in the city of Yangzhou from 1292 to 1294, being an honored guest at the imperial court, where he was appreciated and well received.” Marco Polo’s journey lasted over 24 years and was told in his book Il Milione, translated into Chinese and many other world languages.
“The opening ceremony of the Marco Polo Memorial Hall,” writes Ansa, “was attended, among others, by Italian Consul General in Shanghai Tiziana D’Angelo, Secretary of the Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Jinjian, Deputy Mayor of Yangzhou Zhang Litao, and Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Shanghai Francesco D’Arelli.” During the ceremony, Italian Consul General Tiziana D’Angelo emphasized “the deep ties between Italy and the city of Yangzhou, which are associated with the figure of Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant and traveler.” The project for renovation of the Marco Polo Memorial, jointly promoted by Italy and the city of Yangzhou, was part of the large program of the Year of Culture and Tourism between Italy and China celebrated in 2022.